Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:12 am  

rubber duckie wrote:

I think the last 7 years we've been streaks ahead of Saints, as good as Wigan and not too far behind Leeds.
GF wins should not be the bench mark of how good a team is.
As much as I want to see a GF win because it's a running joke on us, I wouldn't swap any of the CC successes for it.

It's funny isn't it as I'd swap 3 CC wins for 3GF wins in a heartbeat.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:45 am  

How can anyone be unhappy with the recruitment last year, after the season we had, it was brilliant.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:05 pm  

lister wrote:

Gidley
Lineham
Russell
Re-signing Penny
Ashton Sims
Daryl Clark
Jack Hughes
Joe Westerman
Brad Dwyer
Dominic Crosby
Andre Savelio
Mike Cooper

Sandow initially was a fantastic signing.

Benjamin Jullien and Matty Blythe can be decent squad players.

Don't talk sense on here it won't go down well. We shouldn't be complaining after finishing top of the pile and narrowly beaten in both finals. Some bitter lessons but our pack should be much better next season. We still need a couple of backs. I'll be very disappointed with blythe or Evans as first choice RC next season, I'd rather see T King there.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:19 pm  

I understand 71's frustration and others have said what PY was hinting at by listing all the good signings. however, 71, what signings could we have made that would have given us the GF win we all want (apart from the Duck). The Duck is right on another thread that Dodds might have given us the treble. You're desperate for a centre. If we'd got, say, Watkins (who had a stinker last year) or Percival (imagine if the outcry if we'd signed him this time last year), we probably could not have got, say, Westerman or Hughes. With the injuries to our back row in the second half of the season, not having Westerman or Hughes might have outweighed having a top class centre. It's so complicated and we were inches from the treble. It's not who we did or did not sign, it's not even bottle or winning attittude (well, it is a little bit). It's luck and the bounce of a ball here and there.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Thu Dec 01, 2016 5:49 pm  

The All New Chester Wire wrote:

I understand 71's frustration and others have said what PY was hinting at by listing all the good signings. however, 71, what signings could we have made that would have given us the GF win we all want (apart from the Duck). The Duck is right on another thread that Dodds might have given us the treble. You're desperate for a centre. If we'd got, say, Watkins (who had a stinker last year) or Percival (imagine if the outcry if we'd signed him this time last year), we probably could not have got, say, Westerman or Hughes. With the injuries to our back row in the second half of the season, not having Westerman or Hughes might have outweighed having a top class centre. It's so complicated and we were inches from the treble. It's not who we did or did not sign, it's not even bottle or winning attittude (well, it is a little bit). It's luck and the bounce of a ball here and there.

TANCW - Fair enough question but one that is impossible for me to answer as I am not privy to the availability of players, salary cap conditions, agent touting, or what level of financial payments the club is prepared to make in order to make the recruitment happen. You may be right that I have an unrealistic view of the transfer market and we did the very best possible. I can only judge on the indisputable results and on my own limited knowledge of the game. So the results are clear to see - no argument there. Target was GF and CC, delivered neither. In the case of the latter - the team is not balanced and we do not have effective threat on one third of the width of the pitch and an abject lack of pace in the backs.

A more, less obvious part of my post, was about the management of a smooth, balanced, "Ferguson'esque" squad rotation. Plus so many risk signings such as Cox, Bailey, Wheeler didn't smack of a Top 4 side to me.

Despite the close scoreline the GF was not the bounce of a ball, or bad luck. Wigan nullified us completely for 60 minutes where we looked unable to gain field position and unable to break the line. Short comings we saw earlier in the season and shown at Wembley where we struggle against resolute defences, came to fruition again. Oh and who is our goal kicker of choice? We are going into 2017 with the same limitations, so we cannot be surprised if we get the same result.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:47 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

I think the last 7 years we've been streaks ahead of Saints, as good as Wigan and not too far behind Leeds.
GF wins should not be the bench mark of how good a team is.
As much as I want to see a GF win because it's a running joke on us, I wouldn't swap any of the CC successes for it.

I'm not saying this to be a booty, but...

Your recruitment may well have been as good as Wigan's, however, we don't need to have the best recruitment policy, as we are the best at bringing quality youngsters through. I think it's the constant thought of recruitment that has held you back that tiny little bit extra that may have got you over the line (as you certainly deserve to have at least one GF win).

As for your last sentence, why wouldn't you swap a CC win for a GF win? It's pretty well established that the GF is the better of the two prizes.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:09 am  

I'm old school. The CC was the biggest prize in rl.
Imo...it still is.
Live coverage on terrestrial TV...You dont get that with the GF, Live in Australia too.
The biggest earner...you go to Wembley and merchandising with be way in excess of £1m for each visiting club...a club wouldn't make half the money in a GF.

You ask me at the start of any season...Wembley win or GF win, I will always pick Wembley.

The GF will come around, I hope it's sooner than later because it's becoming embarrassing, but losing on route to Old Trafford doesn't make me physically sick like it does when we're knocked out of the cc.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Fri Dec 02, 2016 1:50 am  

rubber duckie wrote:

I'm old school. The CC was the biggest prize in rl.
Imo...it still is.
Live coverage on terrestrial TV...You dont get that with the GF, Live in Australia too.
The biggest earner...you go to Wembley and merchandising with be way in excess of £1m for each visiting club...a club wouldn't make half the money in a GF.

You ask me at the start of any season...Wembley win or GF win, I will always pick Wembley.

The GF will come around, I hope it's sooner than later because it's becoming embarrassing, but losing on route to Old Trafford doesn't make me physically sick like it does when we're knocked out of the cc.

Maybe, but it proves less. If you get a lucky run you can win whilst only playing one decent team, like Wigan in 2013. GF will always be the big one nowadays as it comes with the champions title that is bandied around the season after.

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Fri Dec 02, 2016 2:16 am  

JWarriors wrote:

Maybe, but it proves less. If you get a lucky run you can win whilst only playing one decent team, like Wigan in 2013. GF will always be the big one nowadays as it comes with the champions title that is bandied around the season after.

How many games do SL teams have to play to get to the CC final?

Re: Recruitment - where does the buck stop? : Fri Dec 02, 2016 9:01 am  

atomic wrote:

How many games do SL teams have to play to get to the CC final?

Last year Wire entered at the 6th round. Meaning our wins against Oldham, Widnes and Wakefield got us to Wembley.